Chen Chien-chih

Chen graduated from National Chengchi University, and earned a master's degree from Northeast Missouri State University.^[1][2][3]

Chen was elected to the Taipei City Council in 1969, and served until 1998.^[1] From 1981 to 1989, Chen was deputy speaker of the Taipei City Council. He then became council speaker until 1998.^[1] He contested the December 1998 Legislative Yuan election, and secured a party list seat as a member of the Kuomintang, taking office on 1 February 1999.^[1] While serving on the Legislative Yuan, Chen held senior roles within the Kuomintang. He was deputy director of the policy committee,^[4] and elected to the KMT's Central Standing Committee in 2000, after reforms of the body had been implemented.^[5][6] Chen won reelection to the Legislative Yuan via the Kuomintang party list in 2001.^[2][7] During the 2002 Taiwanese local elections, Chen led the Kuomintang's organizational development committee.^[8] Chang Po-ya, who had sought the Pan-Blue Coalition's unified endorsement, withdrew from the nomination process in September 2002, criticized Chen for attacking her, and chose to contest the Kaohsiung mayoralty as an independent.^[9] Chen offered to resign that position due to the disagreement over mayoral candidacy.^[10] Chen's resignation was resubmitted and accepted after Chu An-hsiung [zh] won the Kaohsiung City Council speakership amid allegations of electoral fraud.^[11][12][13] In 2005, Chen criticized Kuomintang chairmanship candidate Ma Ying-jeou for airing advertisements with allegations of corruption against outgoing chairman Lien Chan and Ma's opponent Wang Jin-pyng.^[14]